DEPTH OF FIELD
Dealer in original historical
and fine art photographic prints
GIUSEPPE ENRIE
The Shroud of Turin printed as negative,
Guiseppe Enrie, 1934
The Shroud of Turin
The Shroud of Turin is a linen cloth believed by many to be the burial shroud of Jesus Christ, wrapping a crucified man after his death. Giuseppe Enrie, an Italian photographer renowned for his technical skill, took the official photograph of the Shroud in 1932. This life-size print, of great historical significance, was the first to clearly reveal the contours of the figure on the shroud, sparking numerous investigations and debates about its authenticity.
Enrie’s use of the most advanced photographic techniques of his time made it possible to capture details previously unseen. His photographs played a crucial role in the scientific analysis of the shroud, leading to various studies, including forensic analysis and carbon dating. While the primary goal of this photographic work was documentary, Enrie’s negatives unveiled previously hidden details, with far-reaching consequences for the ongoing study and interpretation of the Shroud.
GERT JAN KOCKEN
Defacing
Mass of St. Gregory, Münster. Defacement 9 February 1529
Gert Jan Kocken's work "Defacing" (2004-2009) impressively captures the traces of damage inflicted on historical artworks during the iconoclasm in Northern Europe in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. By combining four years of research with his characteristic technical precision, Kocken has created images that are not only visually powerful but also reveal deeper layers of meaning.
His photo series raises questions about the fragility of art and culture and how these are influenced and transformed over time by human actions. Kocken invites the viewer to reflect on the relationship between the past and the present, and the way collective memories are shaped and transformed. His work emphasizes the interplay between destruction and survival, and how cultural objects, despite their damage, retain their own story and value.
Annunciation, Swanden, Defacement 21 December 1528
RENE GERRITSEN
L'écorché attributed to Michelangelo
Rontgen photography by Rene Gerritsen
X-rays
​Geritsen uses X-ray photography as a technique to reveal the underlying layers of artworks. Geritsen's work, which belongs to modern determination techniques in painting, is still carried out analogically. His X-ray photographs not only expose the surface layers of a piece of art but also reveal the internal structures, such as the wood and nails. This adds a new dimension to the painting. Geritsen combines traditional photographic processes with advanced technologies, resulting in unique visual and scientific approaches. His photographic works bridge the gap between investigative photography and artistic interpretation.
Het straatje’, Johannes Vermeer, ca. 1658
Rontgen photography by Rene Gerritsen
ADOLPHE BRAUN
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (National Gallery, London)
Adolphe Braun, c.1870-1895
Self portraits
Adolphe Braun (1812-1877) was an influential French photographer who began photographing artworks in 1860 on behalf of museums and art collectors. He used the carbon print technique, a photographic process known for its durability and exceptional quality. Braun's company, Braun et Cie, was a pioneer in photographic techniques and became one of the most important photography studios in Europe.
At DOF, a series of carbon prints by Adolphe Braun from 1860 will be on display, including self-portraits of Rembrandt and Velázquez, commissioned by the Tate in London. The photographer's hand is still visible in the untrimmed development edges. How many modern artists today continue to experiment with revealing the photographic process?
Peter Paul Rubens (National Gallery, London)
Adolphe Braun, c.1870-1895
ALBERT RENGER-PATZSCH
Photograph of the Painting (Wandbild Zyklos) by Oskar Schlemmer
Albert Renger-Patzsch (1897-1966)
Destroyed Oskar Schlemmer
Oskar Schlemmer was known for his experiments with form, color, and space. The "Wandbild Zyklos" by Schlemmer was a significant work within his oeuvre and the Bauhaus movement. In 1937, this work was confiscated and destroyed by the Nazi party as 'degenerate art.' Albert Renger-Patzsch, a prominent German photographer known for his contributions to the Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity), photographed this painting just before it was destroyed. Although the original "Wandbild Zyklos" no longer exists physically, we still know something of it through this documentation.